There are many reasons why middle-market owners wanting to sell their companies during the next 10 years should consummate a sale no later than 2014, preferably sooner. Although most points discussed in this article pertain with equal relevance to all companies regardless of size, the article is primarily directed at middle-market companies, which are firms with transaction values between $5 and $250 million.
I am more optimistic about the prospects for the short and intermediate-term (the next 2-3 years) acquisition market than I was last year, when I syndicated an article on the then-current state of acquisitions. 2012 should be the best time to sell a company because of the likelihood that market conditions will be strong. They will probably continue that way through 2013 and quite possibly 2014. After that, the market becomes problematic. However, I am much more negative about the long-term than last year.